TECHNICAL LIBRARY

Featuring more than 1,000 searchable technical papers, business features, country commentaries and fashion articles from editions of World Leather going back to 2002. The papers are categorised into nine topics to make the library easy to navigate.

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Technical Articles

ENVIRONMENTAL & CLEAN TECHNOLOGY

152 Items Found

A push to prolong products’ livesOnline marketplace Vestiaire
Collective specialises in passing
luxury leathergoods from one owner
to the next, arguing that prolonging
a product’s life is good for the planet.
Leather lends itself perfectly to this.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2020

Companies must step upFrance’s main leather industry
association, the Conseil National du
Cuir, successfully organised the first
Sustainable Leather Forum in Paris
in the autumn. An audience of
leather industry professionals,
designers and senior representatives
from luxury leathergoods brands
gathered to hear talks covering
developments in sustainability
across the whole of the leather
supply chain, from livestock farming
to finished products.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2020

An introduction to Leather and the Circular EconomyIn the 2020s and beyond, the way we
make and use products will have to
shift from a linear model to a circular
one. Influential institutions such as the
European Commission realise that it
is only by achieving this change that
they can meet targets for keeping
global warming at a manageable
level. What they may not have
realised yet is that at least one sector,
leather, is already a perfect fit for the
circular economy model.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2020

Time for a different story to emergeWith an increased focus on moving
economies from a linear model to
a circular one, a pioneer in terms
of theory and practice argues that
the leather industry has much to
share with the rest of the
manufacturing sector about
turning waste into a valuable
material and using and reusing
resources time and time again.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2020

Circular economy horizonsLeather meets many of the criteria
that circular economy products must
fulfil. Smit & Zoon’s platform leader
for bio-based chemicals, Dr Yujie
Ma, argues that, to make leather
even more circular, hard work and
effective communications must
intensify in the 2020s.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2020

Old shoes resurrectedThe knowledge, skills and love required to repair leather shoes may be less common
than they were 100 years ago, but giving footwear a new life in this way is making
a comeback. Quality shoes are growing in popularity among consumers and the
leather content of these products makes them as repairable as they are desirable.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2020

The ongoing value of wasteJust as tanners are proud of the
circular economy cachet that their
use of waste from the meat and dairy
sectors gives, they have to make the
fullest possible use of the waste their
own production generates too.

World Leather - Apr/May 2020

Leather ‘holds so much promise’ for NigerThe Enhanced Integrated Framework tells World Leather how it is working with the
government to modernise tanneries, train leather workers and set up more advanced
systems for skin collection and exports.

World Leather - Apr/May 2020

A material for keepingEntrepreneur Arturas Kanapkis discovered that stylish bags made from Tuscan
vegetable-tanned leather chimed perfectly with his love and respect for ageless
elegance, allowing him to build up his own leathergoods brand.

World Leather - Apr/May 2020

Limited editions, unlimited creativityDesigner Frederikke Antonie
Schmidt’s decision to build a high
heels label using leather offcuts from
other brands has resulted in a shoe
collection that is dynamic, playful
and sustainable.

World Leather - Apr/May 2020

Sustainable processesThe objective of environmental sustainability is to preserve natural resources, reduce pollution and
develop alternative sources of energy. There are different requirements that a process must fulfil to be
considered sustainable, and include reducing the resources used in terms of products, water and power,
reducing residues and air emissions, using manageable and non-toxic products and using renewable raw
materials. With these requirements in mind, Cromogenia Units, S.A offers a variety of sustainable
processes for unhairing and tanning.

World Leather - Apr/May 2020

Collective actionA number of talks at the Lanxess leather industry seminar at the start of 2020
gave updates on collective action initiatives across the leather supply chain.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2020

Waste squaredBarcelona-based entrepreneur Josep
Riera has no personal history in the
leather industry, but he has been
travelling to and doing business in
India for years. During a visit to
Kolkata, he noticed piles of leather
scraps going to waste and decided he
could put some of them to good use.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2020

Peltec X-Zyme SLR – sludge and lime reductionIn this article, the company describes an innovative approach to a lime-free
opening up system. The product consists of a disruptive technology that has
been thoroughly tested worldwide prior to this publication. The implementation
in production was found to be easy and resulted in leather of very high quality.
The sustainability benefits, which were proven in various production trials around
the world, resulted in considerable interest for this innovative technology.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2020

A push to prolong products’ livesOnline marketplace Vestiaire
Collective specialises in passing
luxury leathergoods from one owner
to the next, arguing that prolonging
a product’s life is good for the planet.
Leather lends itself perfectly to this.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2019

The dynamics of leather combustion (part 2)Part of this study of leather as a combustible material and the treatments needed to
secure approval in fire prevention testing. Part one appeared in October/November 2019.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2019

Blame it on the bovinesLinks between the meat and livestock industry and leather is one of the themes we have set
out to cover in depth in the course of 2019. Part of the ongoing debate is the contribution
livestock herds make to greenhouse gas emissions. The statistics are frequently
misunderstood and sometimes deliberately exaggerated to paint agriculture, meat and (by
extension) leather in a bad light. No one is doing more to present accurate figures and the
science behind them to the wider public than Professor Frank Mitloehner.

World Leather - Jun/July 2019

DNA traceability of hides and leatherApplied DNA Sciences (ADNAS) and Eurofins BLC Leather Technology
Centre last year completed a successful research project to develop a
comprehensive traceability platform for leather. The organisations are now
working together on the commercial implementation of this system.

World Leather - Apr/May 2019

A future focused on innovationTanning group PrimeAsia hosted an open-house event at its tannery in Vietnam in
March to celebrate the completion of an expansion project it began in 2015.

Tannins: a sustainable solutionIn the first of two articles, Italian chemicals manufacturer Silvateam offers insight
into sources of sustainable tannins from areas of Italy and South America. The
second article will contain information about its use of quebracho from Argentina
and tara from Peru. This paper focuses on its efforts to source chestnut tannins
from Italy in a manner that respects the environment while also supporting the
economic growth of local rural areas.

World Leather - Apr/May 2019

Arzignano water treatment plantJust as the human digestive system is key to helping a person enjoy a long life, the effluent treatment plant operated by Acque del Chiampo in Arzignano plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of this important tanning district. Investment has ensured this should be the case for many years to come.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2019

Elimination of wastewaters from liming/unhairing and chrome tanning in wet blue manufactureThis paper concerns a radical new approach to the unhairing/liming and chrome tanning
processes for wet salted bovine hides. The technology - developed by BIOSK Chemicals,
China - was presented at the 11th Asian International Conference of Leather Science and
Technology (2018), Xi’an.
These techniques, as used by four major tanneries in China, are described in detail where
major savings in chemicals and water are being made. In addition, major environmental
issues arising from traditional methods of leather making are being avoided.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2018

Home and dryFootwear group Ecco made a splash at the 2018 World Water Congress in Tokyo when its tanning
division, Ecco Leather, announced a breakthrough that promises important savings in chemicals, sludge
and, most importantly, water compared to established leather manufacturing processes. It says its new
system, DriTan, can save 20 litres of water per hide.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2018

No need for wasteFarfetch, a luxury e-commerce marketplace, has launched its own start-up accelerator programme, the
Dream Assembly, to help it build “the next generation of fashion and retail technology”. No fewer than
three of the initial cohort of 11 start-ups are building their businesses on the idea that long-lasting leather
can be shared, repaired and re-used time and time again.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2018

Lexus-inspired sports shoeA new handmade shoe from sports brand Norman Walsh takes its
inspiration from automotive brand Lexus, including its use of
upholstery leather in the upper.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2018

Kanpur crackdownEvery six years, religious festivals bring millions of pilgrims to Allahabad to bathe in the sacred River
Ganges. The next major festival will take place between January and March 2019 and, 200 kilometres
up-river, more than 400 tanners in the Kanpur clusters have been banned from making leather for the
duration of the event. The consequences for the leather industry in this part of India are likely to be severe.

World Leather - Aug/Sept 2018

We need to talk about chemicalsThere is urgent need in the industry for dialogue about making leather chemicals not
just effective, but also more efficient so that more of these products fix themselves
into the finished leather and lower their impact on effluent treatment plants.

World Leather - Aug/Sept 2018

In praise of zirconiumThere is pressure on tanners everywhere to reduce COD values in the wastewater they send
to effluent treatment plants. At the 2018 Freiberg Leather Days event, the head of wet end
screening at TFL, Florian Döppert, argued that if chrome-free leathers are a company’s focus
the impact on COD values in the wet-end wastewater can be high. This article outlines a
possible solution to this problem that he presented at the event.

World Leather - Aug/Sept 2018

Plastic has nothing to complain aboutTexts about and images of plastic waste polluting beaches and the oceans of the world are turning some
consumers against using the material. This ought to offer opportunities for leather to retake some of the
market share it has lost to these synthetic materials in recent years. However, the leather industry will need
to work hard to take advantage of the anti-plastic mood, which may not last for ever and there is still
enormous support, including financial support, for the plastics industry among politicians. And money talks.

World Leather - Jun/July 2018

Arzignano is the leather industry’s Silicon ValleyThe much travelled international sales director of leather chemicals group GSC, Diego Cisco, argues
that the Arzignano tanning cluster, near his company’s headquarters in northern Italy, can offer an
example of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to the entire global leather industry.

World Leather - Jun/July 2018

Time for changeThe director of the UK Leather Federation, Dr Kerry Senior, argues that the leather industry must work
globally to convince brands and consumers to shift away from synthetics and back to leather. His view is
that a far more “active and aggressive approach” is required.

World Leather - Jun/July 2018

Reduction of salt usage in leather processingThe issue of salt usage is one which the leather industry is still fighting to address.
World Leather technical editor Mike Tomkin delves deeper into why it poses such a
big problem and calls on the industry to do more to tackle it head-on.

World Leather - Apr/May 2018

Salting hides needs to stopMeat consumption will continue and hides will continue to move from abattoirs into leather production. In
this article, based on an influential speech he made at the third World Leather Congress in Shanghai in
2017, World Leather’s publisher and chief executive, Simon Yarwood, argues that what must not continue
is the practice of salting those hides and shipping them across the oceans of the world so that the
excess salt becomes someone else’s environmental problem.

World Leather - Apr/May 2018

Leather or not leather? That is the questionThe misuse of the term ‘leather’ and the consequences of such
misuse is a topic that has generated much discussion in the
leather industry in recent months. In this article, technical editor
Mike Tomkin offers some insight into what can be done about it.

Boron in hide and skin curing processesWith the prevalence of tannery effluent being used for irrigation, tanners need to be aware of the specific monitoring requirements pertaining to soil and water sources as this article about boron illustrates.

greenLIFE 4: By-products of the tanning cycle as fertilising componentsGreen Leather Industry for the Environment (greenLIFE) is a project run by a group of industry partners in Italy’s Arzignano tanning cluster. The project partners have committed to sharing their findings by publishing a series of papers in World Leather. The fourth of six greenLIFE articles comes from biotechnology firm Ilsa, one of the project’s technical partners.

Sustainability in the leather supply chainCompliance with social and environmental standards is now a must for tanners in most parts of the world, which is helping to redress the imbalance between producers in different continents.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2017

greenLIFE 1: Oxidative limingIn 2014, two of the biggest tanners in the Arzignano cluster, Gruppo Dani and Gruppo Mastrotto, formally launched a
joint project called Green Leather Industry for the Environment (greenLIFE), on which they have worked with three
technical partners: chemical supplier Ikem, biotechnology firm Ilsa and the cluster’s wastewater treatment service provider,
Acque del Chiampo. It has the aim of promoting sustainability in the tanning industry. Half of the funding for greenLIFE
came from the European Union, which has asked the project partners to share their findings with the wider leather
industry. The partners have picked World Leather as the ideal platform on which to publish the results of greenLIFE. This
paper, the first of six World Leather will publish in the course of 2017, kicks the series off.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2016

Improving the biodegradability of vegetable tanned leatherTanning stabilises protein, thus making leathers more
difficult to biodegrade than raw hides and skins, composting offers a solution
to waste disposal problems associated with these leather
products. In this event this offers a strong alternative to land-fill
disposal or incineration of waste.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2016

Aku makes the most of Zero Impact leatherFocus on: Footwear. Italian outdoor footwear brand Aku, a long-term partner of prominent leather producer
Gruppo Dani, was the first shoe producer to use Dani’s ‘Zero Impact’ leather in its
products as part of a wider drive to become more sustainable.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2016

The carbon footprint in leather chemicalsWhile carbon dioxide occurs naturally, it is the most common
of the man-made greenhouse gases and is believed to be a
significant contributor to global warming. It is not easy for the
customer or consumer to know the true value of a product, and
specifically the environmental impact. This is in terms of its
carbon footprint value, water consumption, resources and
harmful substances.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2016

Kering’s unfair burden on leatherA report in which luxury group Kering assesses progress against its own sustainability targets carries mixed
news. Some of the work the group has done is excellent, and its offer to share its findings with the rest of the
industry is admirable, but however it places far too great a share of its carbon footprint on leather.

World Leather - Aug/Sept 2016

Nothing to Hide: World Leather completes essay programmeThe Nothing To Hide Series is now complete, but the programme is ongoing because the
idea is (and always was) for the essays to be accessed, quoted and shared by everyone
with an interest in leather. All 15 essays are now available and are free to use.

World Leather - Aug/Sept 2016

Energy from tannery solid wasteSu¨dleder manufactures both chrome tanned and wet white
tanned leathers from bovine hides for the automotive sector
on a contract tanning basis. The capacity of the plant is up
to 3,500 hides per day, and in recent years the company’s
objective has been to retain this flexibility.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2015

Water-repellent and metal-free leathersThe OakLeather range of leathers manufactured by the
Carvalhos Group in Portugal’s principal leather
manufacturing cluster, Alcanena, are metal-free, based on
wet white tanning systems, and incorporate tannins extracted
from the bark of oak trees. The original development work
commenced around 10 years ago and was focused on the
automotive sector. However, the range has now expanded to
other uses such as leathers for furniture, leathergoods and shoe
uppers and linings.

A flawed report of concern to the leather industryThe information presented in the image above was published in May in the ‘I’ – a daily briefing newspaper with a circulation of some 300,000, an offshoot of its parent newspaper, The Independent, a UK national paper with a circulation of 60,000. In this article and one that follows, we address some of the ways in which the industry can respond when faced with flawed criticism.

The language of luxuryFocus on: Aviation Leather. Aside from its performance characteristics, leather is prolific across the global air fleet for its aesthetic and tactile qualities. Leading design agencies tell us why airlines favour it to convey brand message and quality.

World Leather - Apr/May 2015

Water colours the thinking of OEMsAutomotive brands want to present themselves to consumers as environmentally responsible companies, which
means partners all the way along the supply chain, including those involved in producing automotive leather, have
had to take creative and, sometimes, as the Quaker Color story shows, pioneering steps to help make this happen.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2015

The rise of automotive leatherAs car manufacturers around the world report record sales and expanding
production, the future looks rosy for their leather suppliers. However, it is
not all plain sailing: battles over raw material are set to intensify and
leather will have work to keep its place in the hearts of consumers.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2015

A work in progressCOTANCE has shown true leadership in helping the leather industry fight its corner on the question of carbon footprint. Negotiating with the European Commission and with other industries as part of a pilot project is proving to be hard work, but the prize, of leather receiving official recognition as a ‘green’ product, is a precious one. And if COTANCE’s bid to win this prize is successful, there are meaningful, positive consequences for the whole of the global leather industry.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2014

IPCC puts focus on fossil fuels, not livestockCampaign groups have complained vocally for years of the damage that greenhouse gas emissions from livestock can cause to the environment. In their most detailed report so far, scientific experts on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made it clear in November 2014 that, although methane emissions from cattle are a problem, efforts need to concentrate elsewhere, on areas that are easier to mitigate. Their main targets are fossil fuels.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2014

Remediation of soils contaminated with metalsValgo is a company dedicated to soil remediation works and decontamination of mainly asbestos from building sites. Several years ago, in collaboration with ECOLAB (a laboratory, part of an institute for agronomy in Toulouse) a study began into the possibilities of removing pollutants from contaminated solid using hyper-accumulators. These are plants that are able to grow in soils with high metals content, and then to accumulate these metals in their roots, shoots or leaves. This process is reported to be very slow, reaching remediation goals in one or more centuries.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2014

Cows as biodigesters with legsConcerns about livestock’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions are not new. This represents an area in which the meat industry is working to lower its carbon footprint. One new idea to have come out of agricultural research in Argentina is to show that it is possible to capture, purify and compress some of the gas that cows produce and use it as a source of energy.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2014

Reducing the carbon footprint of leatherSustainability in leather production is a widely discussed topic within the leather community. In 20121 and 20144 this important subject was discussed in World Leather, where BASF’s footprint concept was introduced as an integral approach for sustainable leather production.
The subject is developed further in this paper in terms of the value of chemicals with lower carbon footprint, and optimisation of production processes, and value assessment in terms of the value chain.

World Leather - Dec/Jan 2014

Better boots have a lower carbon footprintAs consumers become increasingly keen on knowing the environmental profile of all the products they buy, WL Gore has calculated the extent to which high-quality hiking boots can help people keep their carbon footprint as low as possible.

Kering’s sharingThe French luxury group has been working on two novel tanning methods for three years for its Gucci and Bottega Veneta brands, and says it is almost ready to offer the chrome-free and heavy-metal-free developments to the industry.

Leather as part of a sustainable lifestyleMany companies in the luxury sector are committed to advancing good social, environmental, and animal welfare practices, including sustainable sourcing practices. And because many of these companies offer footwear, clothing and accessories made from leather, there are important implications for tanners in these strategies of these companies’. They are already looking quite far ahead.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2014

Centro Tecnologico das industrias do Couro (CTIC) - 20th anniversaryThe Leather Technology Centre, Portugal, was created as a result of an initiative between the leather industry and the public institutions IAPMEI (Institute for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises) and INETI (Portuguese Institute for Engineering and Technology). Known as CTIC it was inaugurated in 1994.

World Leather - Aug/Sept 2014

VOC-free leathers: A moving targetEmissions of Volatile Organic Compounds from leather originated as a discussion in the automotive industry,
triggered by so-called "Fogging", a physical effect. Nowadays the focus is increasingly on smell and
toxicological aspects of VOC emissions. This calls for new tests and bringing substances into the spotlight
that have not been considered before. The intent of this paper is to give a short overview of current
testing of emissions from leather, and especially new challenges associated with acetaldehyde and
propylene glycol ether - fogging problems once considered to be solved that have surfaced again.

World Leather - June/July 2014

Sustainable tanning: waste minimisation in the tanneryOver the last few years the chemical industry has introduced many new technical solutions to the leather industry. Most offer environmental advantage or reduced risk of harm, and these advances are set to continue. In particular, novel enzymatic beamhouse systems and new wet white technologies are two major wet-end process steps where developments have been focused. Advances in these areas will lead to more sustainable leather articles and process conditions with a lower environmental impact.

World Leather - Apr/May 2014

Climate protection and leatherIn recent years, the commitment of a company to climate protection has developed into a central competitive factor.The Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie (Association of the German Leather Industry) recognised the need for a certification of an energy-efficient manufacturing process at a very early stage. In cooperation with the Forschungsgemeinschaft Leder and I-T-G GmbH Gomaringen, the ECO2L label for the documentation of a qualified CCF, and an energy oriented corporate policy was developed.

Adding substance to sustainabilityFor those working in the global leather industry, sustainability and the environment take on added importance as it is the tanning industry that converts the by-product of the agricultural and meat industries into a valued product. While the food industry ensures a sustained flow of the by-product for tanneries, at the same time it depends on them to manage environmental issues resulting from its by-product, the hides and skins.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2013

Real tanneries, real lifeThe fourth Tannery of the Year Global Awards programme is about to start; the first of the new reports will appear in the next issue of World Leather (December 2013-January 2014). During the first three editions, we have had the privilege of seeing at very close hand the life and work of the 29 finalist tanneries in all parts of the world. This paper highlights just one example from each of their many initiatives showing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in action.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2013

Utilization of treated tannery effluent for afforestation A case study: Sipcot, Ranipet, IndiaTannery effluent after conventional treatment was successfully used for the irrigation of various tree species. Following detailed pilot studies, degraded land in India of approximately 10 acres was converted into a mini forest. The data collected over a twelve-year study within this forest indicated no danger of soil and ground water potential. The effluent discharge was minimized and the wastewater converted into a valuable resource.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2013

Sustainability at the heart of BASF's coreA state-of-the-art research and design facility for leather chemicals at BASF’s headquarters for Asia is central to the chemical group’s philosophy that sustainable solutions will be created through a sustained focus on innovation.

World Leather - Oct/Nov 2013

Dyeing levelness on full grain leathersThe levelness of dyeing of aniline and semi-aniline leathers directly affects their use and value within the manufacture of high value leather goods. However, colour variation caused by natural neck growth marks and draw in the belly parts is frequently found and often unavoidable.

World Leather - Aug/Sep 2013

Biological nitrogen elimination with simultaneous biological sulfide oxidationCleaning tannery wastewater has never been a trivial task, especially for those leather manufacturers who directly discharge into surface waters. Because of the dramatic
savings in water consumption that have been achieved over recent decades by Bader, the wastewater is usually highly concentrated, especially with nitrogen compounds. However, a targeted denitrification process combined with simultaneous sulfide oxidation allows the company to eliminate the nitrogen compounds from the wastewater by at least 70% and at a reasonable cost.

World Leather - June/July 2012

A new green leatherAs a result of close cooperation between N-Zyme BioTec and LGR, a tanning process has been developed and optimised on bovine hides using activated olive residues.

World Leather - Apr/May 2012

Innovation. Part 4: Making the most of resourcesTwenty world-standard tanneries have opened their doors for in-depth study as part of the global Tannery of the Year Awards programme launched by the publishers of World Leather in 2009. In part four of this series we look at examples of innovation in practice, where tanners have addressed various issues by making the most of their resources.

High-fastness fatliquors from sustainable resourcesNew fatliquors based on renewable raw materials have been developed that provide outstanding light and heat fastness performance together with excellent softening effects. This paper gives an overview of the chemistry of fatliquors, and compares the technical performance of these essential products on leather, with their environmental impact expressed as carbon footprint values.

EasyWhite Tan leather: A tanning evolutionThis paper describes a new white tanning system from Clariant for leathers suitable for automotive, shoe upper and other classic leather types. The absence of common salt as normally used in the pickle stage has significant implications within clean technology and the wider environment.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2011

Genuine lightweight leather: A new micro-sphereThe largest source of green house gas emissions globally is through the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas in power plants, automobiles, industry etc. the USA is the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide(CO2) and, in 2006, petroleum supplied the
largest share of US domestic energy demands, accounting for an average of 47% of total
fossil-fuel-based energy consumption(1). The USA and China produced by far the largest
CO2 emissions in the world of 5,987.98 and 5,010.17 million tonnes in 2004 respectively(2).
There are about 800 million petroleum consuming cars in the world(3) which is expected
to continue to rise long term, beyond the current crisis. The USA and China are now the world’s biggest markets for such vehicles and there is seriously growing concern about sustainability.

Collagen as a substrate for biomaterials: Part 2Using biotechnology, it is possible to cut specific regions of the collagen molecule in order to solubilise collagen whilst, at the same time, retaining its helical nature. This new form of collagen can then be precipitated from solution, solubilised and moulded into any shape or form that may be required for medical purposes. This second part of the article follows on from Part 1, issued in World Leather August/September 2007.

World Leather - 08 - Dec/Jan 2007

Reducing the amount of salt required for hide and skin preservationIn Pakistan the most common method of curing is by salting. But all of this salt is subsequently removed and most of this enters tannery effluent where it can only be removed under extreme conditions. It is also the major source of salinity found in tannery effluents.

World Leather - 08 - Dec/Jan 2007

The regeneration of used salt from curingOne of the major problems that the leather industry needs to address is the issue of salinity. It is well known that most of the salt component in tannery effluents is generated from the salt used for preservation of hides and skins. There is always an excess of salt applied to ensure a complete cure, so, as a first step to reduce salinity, this surplus can be shaken from the hides and skins before beginning the soaking process. Various methods are used, but the question then arises, what happens to this contaminated salt?

World Leather - 08 - Dec/Jan 2007

The 110th Annual SLTC conference 2007The 110th annual conference of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists was held in Chester UK on Saturday September 29, 2007, the event being attended by 77 people from the leather and associated industries. In total eight technical papers were presented including The Atkin Memorial lecture, “The beamhouse, foundation for leather making—experience during 50 years”, given by John Basford.

World Leather - 07 - Nov 2007

The theory and practice of direct pickle/chrome liquor recyclingMinimising the chloride/sulfate and chromium ion content from pickle tanning
Although the information set down in this paper is fundamental to the highly successful technology and this is probably the most informative study that has been written on this subject, it should be remembered that the original report was produced before the technology became widely established and some minor details will have changed by now.

Formaldehyde analysis: Test methods and resultsThere have been recent changes in the understanding of the toxicity of formaldehyde, and a proposed change in the testing method. With the realisation that the greatest risk to human health comes from airborne formaldehyde, test methods are now tending to change to reflect this.

World Leather - 03 - May 2007

A compendium of salinity-related informationOne of the major global issues affecting the viability of many tanneries is salinity and for this reason there has been a strong focus on the subject in recent publications. Accordingly, this article sets down issues that are related to salinity and a list of publications that have been presented. These total almost 50 technical papers.

The problem of marine dischargeThe marine environment is sensitive, but because problems of dealing with salinity, massive clusters of tanneries are now located near the coast in order to discharge these effluents into the sea.

Technologies to improve the useful area of leatherThe manufacturing of leather is facing diverse challenges including pressure from the eco-toxicity point of view, in the form of stringent new regulations. The measures necessary to deal with these issues add to the cost pressure that tanners are experiencing.

World Leather - Aug/Sep 2006

Buyer's view: PatagoniaEnvironmentally-friendly leather takes a step into the outdoors with the emphasis on ISO 14001.

A salt-free pickling regime for hides and skinsThis paper describes a series of pilot studies to investigate salt-free pickling systems based on phenol sulfonic acid preparations on hides, sheepskins pelts, and woolsheep leading to the successful commercialisation of the findings.

Recycling - a new source of innovationAfter decades of defending its environmental position, the leather industry has seen dialogue change. Corporate social responsibility requires tanners to start thinking about what happens to all the products and articles as they end their useful life. Instead of just safe disposal the argument has now shifted to how to recycle them.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2006

The Machine Minder: Recycling containersLeather production requires a broad range of liquid chemicals — tanning and bating compounds, fatliquors, a whole host of specialised finishing compounds, both solvent and waterbased. Management’s main concern is to make sure that stocks are ordered and delivered on time, but out in the backyard of the factory we are confronted with an aspect that is generally ignored — the “empties”.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2006

Waste creates new growthMany by-products from leather manufacture, that have traditionally been treated as waste, are now being viewed as 'new raw materials' through the development of new techniques.

World Leather - Feb/Mar 2006

The real cost of a kilo of saltThe following paper provides an overview of a different approach to tanning. The technique is managed in the ‘non-swelling’ pH zone, and thus eliminates the need for salt within the conventional acid pickle. The fibre stabilisation provided – somewhat similar to a pretannage with glutaraldehyde – allows strong leather characteristics, such as those provided by conventional chrome tannage, to be developed within a main tanning or retanning stage.

Optimum chrome tanning of hides and modified Thrublu process for lime-split hidesChrome tanning for a long time enjoyed a unique position amongst tanners and almost 90% of leather produced is chrome tanned. A number of studies have been published suggesting that Chromium(III) itself may be toxic at higher levels and Chromium(VI) is a known carcinogen. So, tanners have to consider how best to modify their tanning process for better exhaustion of chrome and look for alternative means to minimise the impact of tanning on the environment.

World Leather - Nov 2005

The effects of salinity on the treatment of tannery effluents and sludgesWithin the biological treatment of tannery effluent, the general approach uses aerobic bacteria maintained in suspension to digest nutrients within the effluent. Soluble effluent components that have a high oxygen demand are converted into a fine suspension of bacterial clusters and are removed as solids. However, systems that rely on anaerobic bacterial action can also be usefully employed to remove components that otherwise would produce a high oxygen demand in the effluent.

World Leather - Nov 2005

The replacement of nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) as degreasing agents in wet blue manufactureThe debate continues over whether NP and NPE represent a serious insult to the environment, but there is no longer any doubt about the direction of regulatory control. Increasingly, tanners sourcing wet blue are requiring that it be certified as NPE-free, but a wide range of alternatives now addresses their concerns about substituting NP/NPE technology with more environmentally desirable alternatives. World Leather takes a look.

Business technology: A prize-winning tanneryWhile tanners in other European nations have often been heard to complain about the onerous burdens placed on them to meet EU and national environmental legislation, Hulshof, one of Holland’s tanners, seems to revel in meeting the challenge. In fact, the company appears to be setting the standards for others to follow.

World Leather - Aug/Sep 2005

Formaldehyde-free leather – a realistic objective?There is an increasing demand for “formaldehyde-free” leather. No legal regulation presently exists for this chemical in the EU, but in many areas of application the amount of formaldehyde contained in leather is limited by technical specifications or eco-labels.

World Leather - June/July 2005

A practical alternative to salt for the preservation of hides and skinsSalt as a preservative for hides and skins is simple in application, low in cost and effective.
Accordingly it is the most common form of preservation, but in practical term salt cannot be removed
within effluent treatment. It enters the environment where the true costs are experienced in reality.

Salinity within tannery effluentsThe total global input of bovine hides, sheep, goat and
pigskins is nearly eight million tonnes as wet salted
weight a year. On this basis, it could be estimated that
tanning operations world-wide use some four million tonnes of

The recycling of limed fleshingsThe handling and any recovery of products contained in limed fleshings in the tannery has long been a serious expense. Moving this material for eventual dumping incurs labour costs, even when the specialised equipment is employed.

Back to Basics: Environmental - Part 10 of 10Solid wastes and sludges: The most effective ways to minimise the problem presented by solid waste and sludges are reduce waste at source, view by-products as potential raw materials and manage sludges effectively.

World Leather - Nov 2004

Primary settlingThere are many examples of primary settling systems that are ineffective. And limitations are not restricted to small
tanneries, as severe problems can be found in some of the largest and most expensive treatment plants.

World Leather - Nov 2004

Lagooning: a solution for tannery effluentThe simplest method of purifying a wastewater is to discharge it into a pond and to let nature do its work. Sunlight,
heat, oxygen from air,bacteria, algae and, above all, time are needed. Generally known as the lagoon process, the technique was adopted in the US, Canada and Europe many years ago but is most commonly used where the climate is hot.

World Leather - Nov 2004

Dry pre-tanned intermediaries: a step towards sustainable leather manufacturingNew legislation in Europe states that by the middle of 2005 chrome shavings and other organic wastes can no longer be dumped in landfill sites. Already faced with numerous chemical restrictions, the avoidance of many substances and the need for advancing testing requirements have become an important facet in the production of quality leathers.

World Leather - Oct 2004

Back to Basics: Environmental - Part 9 of 10Sludge handling: Gross solids as sludges from primary settling are pumped from the base of the settling tank. Having a solids content of about 4%, these require dewatering before disposal. In hot climates this dewatering is commonly performed in sludge drying beds using a mix of drainage and evaporation.

World Leather - Oct 2004

Wasserglass in leather productionThe main objective of this project—funded by the CRAFT
programme of the EC(2)—was to develop findings from a
previous investigation on the application of Wasserglass.
In the study, procedures for pelt treatment with Wasserglass(3)

Back to Basics: Environmental - Part 7 of 10Secondary effluent treatment: After separation of the solids from the effluent by primary clarification, the supernatant is delivered for aerobic biological treatment. Known as the activated sludge process, the effluent requires continuous aeration to ensure a constant supply of oxygen for the bacteria, and to keep the bacterial flocs that develop in suspension.

World Leather - June/July 2004

Back to Basics: Environmental - Part 6 of 10Primary effluent treatment: It is recognised that the first stage in the treatment of wastes from any process operation is to use the most appropriate materials and optimise performance. However, even after applying the best available technology to leather making, waste remains.

False hexavalent chromium determinationsConsiderable discussion and research has taken place into the potential weaknesses and accuracy of the diphenylcarbazide determination of hexavalent chromium in leather. Despite these reservations, the general attitude has been to accept that hexavalent chromium - as determined by diphenylcarbazide methods - is real and hazardous.

Back to Basics: Environmental - Part 2 of 10Materials consumed and waste generated
The diagram shows the quantity of finished shoe upper leather and splits produced, and the waste generated from
processing one tonne of wet

The V-Fold belt filter pressThe V-Fold filter was developed in Australia to dewater slurries and sludges generated during wastewater treatment so they can beremoved at lower cost, and in some cases used in compost. Its simple design and forgiving nature means little operator input is needed, even when the slurry composition varies.

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